Petunia plant named ‘Condopurple’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Condopurple’, characterized by its outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit; freely branching habit; numerous double flowers that are dark red purple in color; and good garden performance.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Petunia×hybrida cultivar Condopurple.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Condopurple.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new outwardly spreading Petunias with numerous double flowers with attractive flower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in April, 1999 of an unidentified single-flowered selection of Petunia, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with an unidentified red-colored double-flowered selection of Petunia, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny on Oct. 20, 1999 in Gensingen, Germany, on the basis of its double and numerous dark red purple-colored flowers.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings since November, 1999, taken in Gensingen, Germany has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Condopurple have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Condopurple’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Condopurple’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Outwardly spreading, cascading and uniform plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Numerous double flowers that are dark red purple in color.

4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the female parent, the unidentified single-flowered selection, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of the female parent.

2. Plants of the new Petunia have double flowers whereas plants of the female parent have single flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parent, the unidentified red-colored double-flowered Petunia selection, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading and not as upright as plants of the male parent.

2. Plants of the new Petunia are more vigorous and more freely branching than plants of the male parent.

3. Plants of the new Petunia have better garden performance than plants of the male parent.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Kerpril, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/399,874 (now abandoned). In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gensingen, Germany, plants of the new Petunia differed from plants of the cultivar Kerpril in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Petunia were more outwardly spreading and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Kerpril.

2. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Kerpril.

3. Plants of the new Petunia had darker purple-colored flowers than plants of the cultivar Kerpril.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of three typical flowering plants of ‘Condopurple’ grown in a 20-cm container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of a typical flower bud, typical opening flowers, upper and lower surfaces of typical fully opened flowers, upper surface of a fading flower, upper surface of a typical developing leaf, and upper and lower surfaces of typical fully expanded leaves of ‘Condopurple’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bonsall, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the late spring and early summer under full sun conditions with day temperatures ranging from 18 to about 35° C. and night temperatures ranging from 4 to 18° C. After planting rooted cuttings, plants were grown for about six weeks in 20-cm containers with three plants per container. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Condopurple.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Unidentified single-flowered Petunia×hybrida selection, not patented.

Male parent.—Unidentified red-colored double-flowered Petunia×hybrida selection, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 15 days at 20 to 22° C.

Time to develop roots, summer and winter.—About 20 days at 18 to 22° C.

Root description.—Fine; white, close to 155D, in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; initially upright, then outwardly spreading and trailing; uniform. Freely branching habit with about 14 lateral branches per plant.

Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio containers and landscape applications.

Plant height.—About 18 cm.

Plant diameter.—Individual plant: About 30 cm. All three plants: About 64 cm.

Vigor.—Vigorous.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 34 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 to 4.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 143B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before flowering; opposite after flowers develop; simple. Quantity per lateral branch: About 28. Length: About 5.5 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Shape: Elliptic, rounded. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; glandular. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 146C. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole length: About 2.5 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole color: 144A.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Double salverform flowers; flowers face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Very freely flowering habit, about one or two open flowers and about 10 flower buds per lateral branch at one time.

Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; long flowering period, spring until frost in the autumn; flowering continuous during this period. Plants start flowering about four weeks after planting rooted cuttings. Flowers persistent.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About three days.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 6 cm. Tube length: About 2.7 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 2.2 cm. Tube diameter, proximal end: About 6 mm.

Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: At apex, about 1 cm; at base, about 5 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color: 79D.

Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: About seven fused outer petals in a single whorl, funnelform; interior to the outer whorl, about eight progressively smaller petaloids, variable in size. Petal length from throat: About 2 cm. Petal width: About 1.8 cm. Petal/petaloid shape: Roughly spatulate or fan-shaped. Petal/petaloid apex: Broadly acute, sinuate; ruffled. Petal/petaloid margin: Entire; ruffled. Petal/petaloid texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petals/petaloids, upper surface, when opening: 71A. Petals/petaloids, lower surface, when opening: 77B. Petals/petaloids, upper surface, fully opened: Brighter than 71A; color fading to 74B with subsequent development. Petals/petaloids, lower surface, fully opened: 72B. Flower throat (inside): 77A to 77B. Flower tube (outside): 77A. Venation, upper petal/petaloid surface: 71A. Venation, lower petal/petaloid surface: 146B. Venation, throat: 79B. Venation, tube: 146B.

Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals fused at base, star-shaped; recurved. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape: Strap-like; elongate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire, sinuate. Texture, both surfaces: Pubescent, glandular. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle: About 45° from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About five petaloid stamens. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther size: About 1 mm by 2 mm. Anther color: 202B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 198B. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: 79D. Stigma shape: Two-parted, oblong. Stigma color: 147A. Ovary color: 144B.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been observed to date.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to have good garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been noted to tolerate temperatures from 5 to 35° C. and have excellent tolerance to rain and wind. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Condopurple’, as illustrated and described. 